US2917104A - Adjustable chair - Google Patents

Description

De@ 15, 1959 F. M. coTTLE 2,917,104

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR Filed April 18, 1957 INVENTOR. fra/@MM (diie MVM im? n R N EY United States Patent O ADJUSTABLE CHAIR Francis M. Cottle, Fresno, Calif.,assignor of one-half to Martin Richtel, Fresno, Calif.

Application April 18, 1957, Serial No. 653,589 1 claim. (c1. 15s-ss) This invention relates to a chair, and more particularly to a chair that can be adjusted.

The object of the invention is to provide a chair which is adjustable whereby the chair can be used either by an adult or a child.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby a conventional chair can be adjusted so as to permit use of the chair by a child or infant.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the chair legs of a conventional chair can be adjusted to different lengths, and wherein there is further provided a means for detachably connecting a foot rest and an auxiliary back rest to a chair so that achild can conveniently use a regular sized chair to sit -A still further object of the invention is to provide a means for converting a conventional chair into a chair which can be used by a child wherein the means includes leg extensions that can be adjusted to permit the chair to be used by children of different sizes, and wherein the chair can be adjusted to different elevations, as the child grows.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable chair which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are used to designate parts throughout the same:

'Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the'chair provided with the adjusting means of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the chair of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a portion of the leg extension.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail -to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a conventional chair which includes the usual seat 11, front legs 12, and rear legs 13, Figure l. The chair 10 further includes upright members 14 which support a back rest 15.

The present invention is directed to a means for converting the chair 10 into a chair which can be used by a child, and this means comprises an auxiliary back rest which is indicated generally by the numeral 16. The

auxiliary back rest 16 includes a frame 17, Figure 5, and

rice

bers 20 which are connected to a back engaging elemen or member 21.

There is further provided a foot rest which is indicated generally by the numeral `22, Figure 6, and the foot rest 22 includes a pair of body members 23 and 24 which are slidably or telescopically connected together. A bushing 25 is arranged on the outer end of each of the body members 23 and 24, and these bushings 25 are arranged in engagement with the front legs 12 of the chair. Suitable securing elements such as screws 26 extend through the bushings 25 and into engagementwith the legs 12 for maintaining the foot rest 22 immoble in its adjusted positions.

There is further provided an adjustable leg extension for each of the legs 12 and 13,v and each adjustable leg extension is indicated generally by the numeral 27, Figure 3. Each extension 27 includes a tube 28 which surrounds the lower portion of the leg, and the upper end of each of the tubes 2S is threaded externally as at 29. Each tube 28 further includes a split portion 30. The locking collar 36 is provided with an inner groove 31 that receives a split ring or washer 32, and the locking collar 36 is arranged in threaded engagement with the portion 29 of the tube 28. Arranged within the tube 28 and positioned below the chair leg is a plurality of spacer members 33, and there ispfurther provided on the lower end of the tube 28 a button 34 for engagement rwith the floor. Extending upwardly from the button 34 is a plurality of iingers 35 which project into the lower end of the tube 28.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a means for converting a regular or conventional chair into a chair which can be used by a child. Normally, with the foot rest and auxiliary back rest and leg extensions removed, the chair can be used by an adult in the usual manner. However, when the chair is to be used by a child or smaller person, it is only necessary to connect the auxiliary back rest 16 in place, and also mount the foot rest 22 in place and also connect the leg extensions 27 to the legs '12 and 13. Thus, a child will be able to sit on the chair with correct posture so that the chair can be comfortably and conveniently used by children. Thus, it is not necessary to purchase a separate chair for a child since by means of the present invention a regular chair can be converted into a chair for use by a child.

The auxiliary back rest 16 includes the frame 17 that is detachably connected to the uprights 14 by means of the pair of clamps 19. Thus, with the clamps 19 engaging the uprights 14, the back engaging member 21 will be maintained in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 so that a child will be properly supported on the chair.

Similarly, the foot rest 22 provides a convenient support for the childs feet, and the foot rest 22 includes the pair of members 23 and 24 which can be adjusted so as to lit different portions of the legs 12 and whereby the device can be mounted on chair legs which are spaced apart diiferent distances. The foot rest 22 is secured in place to the front legs 12 by means of suitable securing elements such as set screws26, Figure 6.

There is further provided a means for elevating the legs 12 and 13 and this means comprises the previously described leg extensions 27. The leg extensions 27 include the tubes 28 which are clamped to the legs 12 and 13 by means of the locking collars 36 and split washers 32. By varying the number or size of the spacers 33, the effective length of the leg extensions 27 can be varied as desired. The buttons 34 are held in the lower ends of the tubes 28 by means of the fingers 35, and the buttons 34 engage the floor surface. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the exterior surface of the locking collars 36 are knurled externally so as to facilitate the manual rotation thereof, as when the extentions 27 are being removed or replaced.

Thus, it will be seen that there has been provided a means for converting a chair such as a contemporary breakfast set tubular leg chair into a high chair or modified highchair. The leg extensions 27 can be adjusted as to height by inserting a larger or smaller number of the round Wooden pegs or spacers 33 into the tube 28 as shown in Figure 3.

The object of the invention is to provide a means by which a child can sit comfortably at a table while eating, playing or working, and wherein a chair of tubular steel construction is utilized such as the Wrought iron and chrome dinette seats that are in common usage today. The, present invention utilizes the four leg extensions 27, the foot rest 22, and the snap-on back rest 16. The chair l10 is of conventional construction and by means of the present invention, the conventional chair can be utilized by children or a youth. The member 36 constitutes an expansion lock nut, and there is further provided the locking ring 32 and the button 34 permits the chair to slide or move on the floor without damaging the parts. The tubes 28 are threaded at the top as at 29 for engagement with the locking collar 36, and the spacers 33 lit inside the lower portion of the tube 2S. By means of the separate spacer members 33, the chair can bc lowered approximately one inch at a time as the child grows, so that the child can eat, work and play comfortably at a table, and at the same time have good posture control. The button 34 permits the chair to be readily slid across the oor easily without binding or marring. The button 34 can be made of any suitable material. Due to the provision of the split portion 30 and the coacting parts as shown in Figure 4, it will be seen that when the lock nut or collar 36 is tightened on the portion 29, the tube 28 will be locked firmly around the leg 12 or V13 so that the leg extension is held in place without damaging or marring the surface of the leg. The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapes or sizes. The back rest 16 permits the child to have good posture control while sitting in an adult chair. The telescoping foot rest 22 is held firmly in place by the set screws 26, and this member or unit can be adjusted as desired.

By means of the leg extensions, foot rest and back rest, a child can sit properly and comfortably in an adult chair for eating purposes or the like so that all parts of the childs body are supported or arranged in the proper manner. As the child grows, the wooden spacer members or plugs 33 can be removed and the foot rest 22 moved downwardly so as to permit the child to have a com 1 fortable chair for eating, working or playing, and until the child is large enough to sit ina chair with both feet firmly on the floor.

The locking nut 36 is adapted to compress the split washer 32 so as to secure the leg extension to the chair leg. The split washer is adapted to be made of rubber, neoprene, or other similar compressible material and this also makes the device self-centering.

I claim:

In a chair including a seat, front and rear legs connected to said seat, leg extensions connected to said legs, and each of said leg extensions including a tube mounted on the lower end of each of said legs, the upper end of said tube being threaded externally, said tube including an upper split portion, a locking collar arranged in threaded engagement with the upper end of said tube and surrounding the split portion thereof, there being a groove in said collar, a split ring surrounding the chair leg and seated in said groove, a plurality of spacer members positioned in said tube and abutting the lower end of said leg, an abutment arranged on the lower end of said tube and including a plurality of lingers projecting into said tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 400,033 Alliger Mar. 26, 1889 1,230,187 McClelland June 19, 1917 1,345,785 Koch July 6, 1920 1,405,632 Sladky Feb. 7, 1922 1,922,418 Conant Aug. 15, 1933 2,073,065 Kahn Mar. 9, 1937 2,546,871 Schley Mar. 27, 1951 2,722,970 Stechmann Nov. 8, 1955

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